What's up in emerging technology

What's up in emerging technology

March 22, 2018

Google hopes blockchain tech will help it win the cloud war

The company is reportedly planning to use crypto to reassure its customers that their data is secure.

The news: Bloomberg says Google is “developing its own distributed digital ledger that third parties can use to post and verify transactions.” Such blockchain-style technology might provide an immutable record of how data has been used, viewed, or handled over time.

The idea: The report claims Google will use the tech to differentiate its cloud services from those of rivals like Microsoft and Amazon, by offering it to customers as a means of checking that their data is safe. It may also license the technology to other firms.

Why it matters: The cloud is a battleground right now, and tech giants are throwing all they have at it in order to win. AI is a huge part of that, but blockchain tech could also provide an edge.